


Support

by palmfairy1122



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Drama, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Friendship, Headcanon, M/M, Production, Romance, Soonhoon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 03:56:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15234792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palmfairy1122/pseuds/palmfairy1122
Summary: "Thanks," Woozi said, his small smile almost conspiratorial."Oh," Hoshi said."I didn't do it for you."Hoshi can't help smiling. "Of course."[Written after Komapta promotions]





	Support

The first time, it was almost as if he expected it. That's not to say he didn't give his best. Soonyoung was sure he did, but the song that came out divided the group by preference. Jihoon seemed to have expected it.

The second and third time, he took it graciously. He took note of the improvements that were needed and looked relieved when someone suggested the songs can be used in other albums. The Vocal Team took more time in the sacred studio, a lot of times camping in. Soonyoung was grateful the unit was very supportive of him.

The fourth, and fifth time, he didn't even look dejected, which was worse, in Soonyoung's point of view. He knew Jihoon was great in hiding his feelings, so when he was showing none, it meant it was getting bad.

With practices for yearend stages in between their regular schedule, even the Vocal Team couldn't find the time to stay awake with Jihoon in the studio anymore. Soonyoung caught Jeonghan dragging a pillow to the room once, but when he followed him and peeked inside, Jeonghan was already sleeping, and Jihoon was still stuck behind the computer. Jihoon's makeup the next morning was thicker than usual, and it made him whiter than he already was.

Soonyoung never heard him complain.

The sixth time, it was right after a stage performance. All of them were feeling high from the adrenaline, and the chants and support the Carats gave them, but it was not enough for anyone to go easy on Jihoon. Everyone was constructive, of course, pitching in ideas… but it was obvious that this wasn't the song for the comeback.

Jihoon went straight to the studio afterwards, and Seungkwan volunteered to bring him dinner which Soonyoung suspected he didn't touch until early the next morning when he said he was too full to eat breakfast.

The seventh time, then the eighth, Jihoon was paralyzed in his seat during evaluation. To be rejected eight consecutive times was something else. Production was never easy to begin with, and even though rejection was something all of the members, Jihoon especially, were familiar with, it was still devastating.

Fans and people outside the team single out Jihoon for being the genius composer and producer Seventeen had, and they were right, there was no doubt about it, but Jihoon was always careful to correct them. He wasn't a genius, he would claim. Although Soonyoung would be one of the first people to disagree with him, he knew where Jihoon was coming from. Eight rejections in a row was only a small part of it.

"Talk to him," Jeonghan told Soonyoung when it was just the two of them in the practice room. Soonyoung didn't even say anything, but Jeonghan had his own way of knowing what's inside the members' minds from time to time. "He's not speaking to any of the Vocal Team members anymore. Maybe there's just a lot in his mind, but a friend of his age is someone he might need right now."

"He'll kill me if I step inside the studio," Soonyoung said, trying to lighten up the subject. He hated going into practice with a heavy heart. But that's what he's been doing lately, since he's been too worried about Jihoon above everything.

"You'll survive that," Jeonghan said. "If it's for Jihoon, you'll do anything, anyway."

He didn't have to survive anything, turned out. The door was unlocked, and Jihoon was sleeping in front of his screen. It was 4 in the morning, an hour or so after their group practice, and Jihoon's been running on caffeine the past days, so Soonyoung understood. He tucked him under a blanket and got a cup of coffee and an unopened can of soda prepared for him in case he woke up.

Then he called his manager and posted something in their groupchat. The members who were still awake responded with enthusiasm, and Soonyoung had to pretend he was angry at them for being too happy at his announcement, but ended the conversation saying that all of them needed it anyway.

Jihoon confronted him the next day, his eyes red from oversleeping (because 3 hours of sleep was already oversleeping for him) and looked almost angry.

"I didn't do it for you," Soonyoung assured him.

Jihoon knew better. He knew how Soonyoung lied. He knew when Soonyoung lied. And he knew Soonyoung cancelled their practice for the day because Jihoon needed it more than the rest of the members.

"What?" Soonyoung asked, when Jihoon was still standing in the middle of the practice room, fists beside him as if he wanted to punch Soonyoung in the face. Soonyoung would let him if he needed it.

Jihoon looked down at his feet before muttering a "Thanks." then walking off without looking back.

That night, Soonyoung knocked on the door of the studio, and Jihoon threw him a glare but said nothing. Soonyoung took that as an invitation to enter, sat on one of the couches and watched Jihoon work.

"Do you want coffee?" he asked after a while.

"The one you gave me this morning was horrible."

Soonyoung was surprised he answered at all. With his headphones on him, Soonyoung doubted he heard anything outside his personal space.

"That's because it was probably lukewarm. You woke up late."

"I thought the rule was when you see me sleeping in this room, you wake me up," Jihoon said, twirling on his chair to look at Soonyoung, even pushing back one of ears of the headphones to listen to him.

Soonyoung shrugged. "You looked like you needed it."

Jihoon went back to focusing on his computer.

Soonyoung brought out his choreography notebook and camera so he could also get some work done, he almost missed Jihoon mumble "Thanks."

It became routine for the two leaders the next few days to use the production room after practicing. Seungcheol came in to observe once and asked about all the songs Jihoon was working on (which was the only time Soonyoung heard of the other songs that were going into the album, although they've discussed it with the members briefly before.) Seungcheol tried to check what Falling For U's final version sounded like, and how the BooSeokSoon song was finishing up. Then he also tried to get Jihoon to rest, until Jihoon chased him out of the room and asked him never to go inside until after they had a final song for the comeback.

Seungcheol knew Jihoon for the longest time, so Soonyoung wondered why Jihoon never kicked Soonyoung out, but realized that maybe Jeonghan was right _. A friend of the same age is someone he might need_. And Jihoon was more comforted by his finished work than rest. He never good with words, too. Soonyoung just hoped his presence comforted him, instead of annoyed him.

Bumzu came by to check on Jihoon's progress. He was surprised to find Soonyoung in the room with him.

"How did you not die when you entered?" Bumzu asked him.

"I was asleep when he came," Jihoon answered for him, and looked at Soonyoung as if daring him to say anything else. Naturally, Soonyoung kept quiet.

Soonyoung was about to exit when Jihoon asked him to stay. "You can listen to it and tell me what you think."

Soonyoung was reluctant to put on the earphones. Was even scared when Jihoon pushed the play button. He was still thrown off even after the preview ended, he almost missed it.

Bumzu jumped into the details immediately after. Talked about the rhythm and the flow. Talked about the weaknesses and holes in the composition. But also complimented Jihoon, saying he was probably moving to the right direction. Jihoon said his piece, and Bumzu was out of the room.

Soonyoung was still shaken, he didn't realize Jihoon was expectantly looking at him until he spoke.

"Well?" he asked.

He blinked, then tried to rack his mind for anything that could help. "Uh… it sounded spacious," Soonyoung offered. "Emotional."

"Hm."

Soonyoung wasn't a musical genius like Bumzu was, and all of the nitty-gritty was already laid down by their senior. Jihoon didn't need that. He was better than Soonyoung was in that area. So, instead, Soonyoung told him what ran in his mind the whole time he was listening to the song. "I think the choreography and the stage would look amazing to this song. Our Carats would love it."

The slightest hints of joy and relief reflected in Jihoon's eyes. "Thanks," he said.

Soonyoung wasn't lying. With the preview he heard, he started drawing drafts of formations and some steps he wanted to incorporate. He talked to their choreographers about it and started working on how they wanted it to look like. Because of this, he took time off the studio. They needed to prepare even more stages, so unit practices were often how they divided the tasks. Soonyoung saw Jihoon less and less each day.

Until Jihoon came looking for him.

"I need help writing the lyrics," he said.

"The song's done?"

"Almost."

Jihoon was hesitating, he realized. "Soonyoung-ah, will you do it?"

Jeonghan's words echoed inside his head. _"If it's for Jihoon, you'll do anything, anyway."_

"Of course," Soonyoung said.

The tension on Jihoon's shoulders eased, and there was a small smile on his face when he said, "Thanks."

"Sure thing," Soonyoung said. "What's the song called?"

**Author's Note:**

> I told myself I would never post this story because it twists the original meaning of thanks from Jihoon's thanks for the Carats' love to something fanfiction-y and cringe-y and I actually hate myself still for posting. But I couldn't help it bc of the SoonHoon content we got last night from Going Seventeen! ela is a soonhoon trash: confirmed. TT


End file.
